Development Cycle Archive

What scares me is you asking the question.

There are no mysteries in a computer game. someone figures it out, publishes there finding in the forums and then everyone knows.

You first created a system where you did a fixed mission to get a holocron. you dumped that because you thought it was too easy.
You then created the hologrind of doing all of the classes, which was insulting. it had no logical reason and you realized it in short order.

You told us you were revamping the system so we waited. And waited.

Now Jedi finally looks like a cool class, and you want to send us on a bug hunt. Someone will figure it out, and there will be more people trying to be Jedi then YOU want. that what it really boils down to. you guys realize we are all going to take a shot at Jedi and that messes with your game concept.

Dont even concider making force sensativity a mystery, because it cant be. Just explain how it works. no more stupid "Hunts for the gimmick"

When I frist heard about this game, I imagined that becoming a Jedi would be random but commonly known. For instance, depending on your profession, you would have a different path. For instance, I imagined that one way a weaponsmith would become a Jedi would be that after many very successfull experimentations on weapon designs, he gets a system message saying something like "After hours of being immersed in the intricate desings of weaponry, you feel an idea about a rare weapon design begin to formulate". Obviously, that would be a lightsaber, and upon the weaponsmith crafting the saber, he would unlock his FSCS. This way couldn't work though since it would be impossibe to make every profession's path fair and equal to the other paths.

Another idea I have been thinking about recently is similair to some of the others posted in here. A type of point system, based on a number of different things:

-Amount of time played (not how long you have had your account, but the actual hours put into the game.)
-Number of Badges
-Number of professions mastered (For hologrinders that failed to unlock, so that they still get credit for the work they put in.)
-Number of attempts on hard dungeons (such as the Corvette or Death Watch Bunker. Completing these dungeons would result in more points per time)
-Number of times you have crafted a successful item (For crafters. Create an incredibly good T-21 or Fusion Generator? You get FS points for it)
-Anything else really

..ect, ect. There will be a certain number of points you must obtain to become FS. With Pub 10's release, those that have 125 badges or so and have mastered 25+ professions will be very close to unlocking (and some may unlock the first time they log on after Pub 10). And those, like me, who have mastered 4 or so professions and have 50 badges, well, it should take much longer. The path to Force Sensitive needs to have a feeling of accomplishment, but discourage mastering professions over and over. That would not be the only way to gather points. If your successfull in your profession you will gather points. Stuff like that.

The system though finding random drop items or killing random spawns. Random drops are bad for the in game economy, and killing random spawns is in no way making this game enjoyable.

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JustG wrote:

The question to continue discussing is this:

Should the method of becoming Force Sensitive (not the path from Force Sensitivity to Jedi) be a mysterious, unknown mechanic orone that is visible and known to everyone?

Thanks for the continued feedback!!

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Well, with all due respect to the other posters the actual question is basically should becoming FS be known or unknown. In no part of the question is it asking for players to come up with new ideas to use. So having siad this I will stick to answering the original question and state my reasons why I have answered the way I have.

I think that becoming force sensitive should be public knowledge because it would really do no good to put an enormous effort into creating a system people will figure out and share. Also, if everyone knew precisely what it takes to become FS then a person would have a more informed choice as to whether that was something he or she is interested in doing. The most important thing to remember is that making a "mysterious" system will in no way, shape or form make it more difficult for people to do what they really want to do. If the reasons for making a hidden system is for the sake of role-playing then it would hardly be beneficial to a game where role-playing is at a minimal. If it was to invoke an atmosphere of StarWarsyness then I would say that the same could be done will a system known to the general public.

So, my answer would have to be visible and known.

I think that originally Force Sensitivity should have been, and stayed, mysterious, unknown, etc....

Unfortunately you guys caved in and told us how to do it (more or less). I ground a bit but stopped because I absolutely love being a doctor and didn't want to drop it to do some random profession. It was my choice, I made it and decided to wait for pub 10 to get my jedi slot. It would be highly disappointing if after a year + of playing, doing several professions, actively participating in GCW and just being a general active member if I have to wait another month or two just to even start on the path.

I think that if it is something mysterious then it better be damn well done, engaging, and wholly fulfilling and not just: get 'x' badges, fight 'x' monster and log 'x' hours/week or something lame. It has to be epic if you're going to do this. I would have no problem having to invest more time for something that really is just mind blowingly good...but if it's just a lame time sink for me (after having played a year + by the time pub 10 comes out) then it's really just not worth it.

Make it absolutely incredible and you can get away with making it mysterious and making those of us that have already worked towards it work even more. If not, then just give us some questsfrom an NPC(s) somewhere and be done with it.

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Stooby wrote:

I think that the path should be a mysterious one. If everyone knows what they have to do to become Force sensitive, then you will have thousands of people playing the game simply to achieve it. I understand the idea that the Devs want the game to be fun, and for many people, fun is following the path toward Jedi, no matter what that path might be. However, I think that becoming Force sensitive should be part of the game, not the game. With that in mind, the mechanic for achieving it should be worked into actually playing the game. I think the professions list was an attempt to do this, but it was too easy just to grind your way through professions in the fastest way possible.

The key is to create a path to Force sensitivity that involves playing different aspects of the game, experiencing different things, and being hard to achieve, but without being something that can be "grinded" in the conventional sense.

Some people suggested different badges, which is a fantastic idea, but I think the path should go further. Create a mechanic that creates a random selection of events and experiences that player should have to complete in order to unlock their Force sensitivity. Events could include; completing certain themeparks, having killed a certain animal, having crafted something, having been to a certain amount of locations, having taken a certain amount of kills in PvP, having taken a certain amount of kills in PvE, having finished some of the higher-end dungeons, having helped a certain amount of newbie players, etc.

The point is that the path should make players actually play the game, and really experience what there is to do in the game. That way, they won't be able to simply grind their way through the path because their is simply way too much to do to grind. All the players will have to do is simply play the game as much as possible, trying to see and achieve everything they can. That way, the Force sensitive path and the end-game of the jedi profession is reserved for people who haven't simply grinded their way to the position, but people that have truly experienced the game.

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It is all nice, but why I should have to craft something, if i want ONLY BE a BH?

The path should not include random things with random professions, just things in professions I actually play! Starting profession and the professions I play at least 1 month or so.

The path should not be totally hidden! I want to use my brain and not only hope, I just stumble over the right things!

Luke did not only walked around in the galaxy and BANG, suddenly he was a Jedi!

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Roustabout wrote:

I think that originally Force Sensitivity should have been, and stayed, mysterious, unknown, etc....

Unfortunately you guys caved in and told us how to do it (more or less). I ground a bit but stopped because I absolutely love being a doctor and didn't want to drop it to do some random profession. It was my choice, I made it and decided to wait for pub 10 to get my jedi slot. It would be highly disappointing if after a year + of playing, doing several professions, actively participating in GCW and just being a general active member if I have to wait another month or two just to even start on the path.

I think that if it is something mysterious then it better be damn well done, engaging, and wholly fulfilling and not just: get 'x' badges, fight 'x' monster and log 'x' hours/week or something lame. It has to be epic if you're going to do this. I would have no problem having to invest more time for something that really is just mind blowingly good...but if it's just a lame time sink for me (after having played a year + by the time pub 10 comes out) then it's really just not worth it.

Make it absolutely incredible and you can get away with making it mysterious and making those of us that have already worked towards it work even more. If not, then just give us some questsfrom an NPC(s) somewhere and be done with it.

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